Quagmire911 Lifting Journal

[Quagmire911]

There are no gyms that are on par (can't beleive I am saying that) with this one, that are close by.

It would be 45-60 minutes travel to get to a power rack, which may become neccasary. Going to start having a look around I reckon.

You never know though, there may be a power rack yet. There was actually a new bench tonight, although it was s*** and looked like it wouldn't support much past 100kg+...

Probably the biggest thing is the enviroment though. It is as if most of these guys have had their balls cut off, seriously. Every time I go in, there is some ga* s*** on the radio. Luckily most of the time I put a cd on and blast out some rock or whatever. I am pretty sure I have only seen someone deadlift more than 400+ once.

Rant over for today...:cuss:

 

[The Bat]

Hey man, I managed to "fix" my shoulder problem by doing military press, BB rows, and upright rows (on different days of course). I say "fix" because the pain comes back every now and then on bench days. But it's not troublesome anymore.

Now it's just a matter of finding substitues for those three exercises so I can continue to hit the shoudler from all 3 angles.

 

[Quagmire911]

Hey man, I managed to "fix" my shoulder problem by doing military press, BB rows, and upright rows (on different days of course). I say "fix" because the pain comes back every now and then on bench days. But it's not troublesome anymore.

Now it's just a matter of finding substitues for those three exercises so I can continue to hit the shoudler from all 3 angles.

Yeh I saw that in the other thread, good stuff.

This shoulder issue this past week was a different issue from the "perceived" issue a month ago. I jarred it a week ago, although it is nearly there. The clicking I hear seems to be relatively normal and doesn't cause any discomfort, and various people have told me that it shouldn't be a problem.

PS-Look at this thread for some exercise ideas:

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=922014

There is a link in that article that shows more exercises as well.

 

[Quagmire911]

Wednesday

Had a pretty decent session today. Met this guy who was doing oly lifts, and he knew who Fred Hatfield was amongst other things, so he was great to talk to. He also spotted me on the squats and shouted stuff at me which was great. Wish I had f***** training partner(s). Here it is:

Deadlifts 1x150kg 1x167.5kg (368.5lbs) PR 1x155kg -Well this was a conventional PR. I did 165 a few weeks ago. These felt a bit better than a few weeks ago, but I still don't know-something doesn't feel right. The bar rolls forward a bit at the start of the lift, so I think I may be setting my shins to close to the bar before I bend down to grab it. This went up better than the 165 a few weeks ago, and I probably had 170 in me. I raised my heels today and I think it helped with leg drive. Although because the bar rolls forwards at the start my shoulders pop up which is wasted movement. Once I fix that everything should be fine. EXTRA: S***. I just watched the video again and realise that when I bend down to pick it up, I grab it and roll it towards me, this must be why it rolls forward a bit at the start as it isn't in the middle of the foot. Will keep this in mind! Looking at the other video I had at 120kg, I don't do this and it comes up in a straight line. Here is the video for the PR:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iGPQ1TTCDo

Squats 115kgx6x5x5(!) (253lbs) PR -Much better than what I would have done a month ago. I discussed my form with Alex in emails and he reckons I have weak hips. I thought this as well, more on that later. The reason for the explaination mark is that I was spotted slightly on the last rep of the last set. May or may not have gotten it. These took it out of me.

Romanian deadlifts 100kg 2x10-These burned. My grip struggled on the second set. I think it was because it slipped out so the bar was resting in my fingers instead of my fingers being wrapped around the bar.

Hip Abductor machine 40kgx15x10x10-Went through to the gay gym to do these. I am not sure whether this is good or terrible, but I am guessing prertty bad as my hips nearly cramped. I think this confirms this as a weakness. This would make sense, as my sumo was higher than my conventional, and now it is the other way around. Interesting things may happen if I bring these up to bar.

Side bends 10kgx6x6x6 PR-Murder on the sides again.

Well that was all for today, pretty good. The squats fried me all over and my legs actually felt worked for a change. Couldn't walk very well afterwards which hasn't happened in a while . I may drop the squats down to two sets and do a down set on the deads with higher reps and maybe go sumo on that set so as to get at my hips, I think this would bring them up. Either that or go wider on the squats. Anyway, that is all for today until next time...

Quagmire

EDIT:

Grip work:

COC No.2 R 1x3 1x2-Nearly had a 4th on the first set. L 1x0 1x0-If I had the money I would get a 1.5.

Door grabx2 -A lot better than when I started it.

 

[Quiksilver]

These lifts are inspiring to say the least! It's an offday today and I feel like going in for a heavy squats session:woo:

You know I'm not out of the race we once had, right? I just took some "time off". I'll catch you at 505lb deadlift and 405 squat!

But seriously, inspiring lifts.

 

[Quagmire911]

Thanks Quik, good luck getting back into it.

The lifts should be higher, but that is what comes with being stuck in a s***** gym and having to do everything without any one on one input. I suppose it is a decent learning process.

275 bench and 405 deadlift I believe? I think I will win the deadlift but the bench could be interesting. Your muscle memory may have you out benching me within a month or two. I want to see some videos this time around by the way...

And you don't know how often I think about the 400 on the deadlift. I will be very happy when I make it my bit**.

 

[I-tallionStallion]

You'll get it the 405 Quag

Excellent lift btw.

Keep working hard and putting up those PRs...lately you've been kicking some major a$$ and I love it.

Btw I'd like to join you guys on the bench lol. I think I can have it by the end of the year. Then again I do eat a lot more.

 

[Quagmire911]

You'll get it the 405 Quag

Excellent lift btw.

Keep working hard and putting up those PRs...lately you've been kicking some major a$$ and I love it.

Btw I'd like to join you guys on the bench lol. I think I can have it by the end of the year. Then again I do eat a lot more.

Thanks Stallion!

We could do challenges where we go by strength/weight ratio. Such as 3x bw deadlift 1.5xbw bench, 2xbw squat, or whatever...

 

[Quagmire911]

Thursday-Extra stuff

Plyometric pushups 3x6 -Double front clap in the air. Will be moving to triple front clap soonish I reckon. I have already done one, but that is different from several.

10 burpees/30 jumping jacks -3 circuits 60-90s between circuits-Also did 50 jacks on the last circuit. Have to say, I felt a lot better having done this. I recovered well inbetween circuits and at the end, which is a good sign work capacity is increasing nicely.

Dynamic stretching/glute activation

Well that was it. The right shoulder is nearly 100%. I can only feel a slight twinge in extreme ranges of motion, so I am fine for heavy work again.

That is all for today. Will probably do plyo jumps on Sunday and may some cardio along with it. Until next time...

 

[Quiksilver]

What does your food intake look like these days Quag?

 

[Quagmire911]

Emmm...

Can't tell you exaclty but I take in 8 eggs a day at the moment and a decent amount of beef and/or chicken. Usually four-five meals a day. Probably getting in 1g per pound of bw protein which is fine as I am not putting an emphasis on gaining. Weight is 180ish at 14-15% (I hope). Can still see the top four abs when I tense. I have been lazy with the carb cuttoffs recently and drinking more cause of the summer, however I will become stricter on things soon. Don't have a lot of money at the moment so it is harder to eat clean.

As long as I stay leanish and the weights increase I am happy, and that is happening at the moment.

 

[kickureface]

hey quag, how is r500mg of magnesium feeling? i remember i took 2 spoonfulls (maybe 150-200mg one time) and i had diarrhea the next day for a while 0.0.

i too dream about 405, which i will be attempting next friday. 40lb pr >:[

 

[Quagmire911]

Don't seem to have any issues with the magnesium. Mabe consider a different brand?

Good luck on the deadlift.

 

[kickureface]

im taking magnesium carbonate which happens to be chalk LOL
what about you and your zinc?

 

[Quagmire911]

Monday

Bah. Not a great day. Details below:

Overhead press-65kgx3x2 60kgx5 -Bah. I did the 60kgx7 two weeks ago. When I dropped to 60kg I only got five today, but that is too be expected with the 65kg work. From the video two weeks ago it can be seen that I am swaying a bit and having trouble stabilizing the weight. Well I manage with 60kg, but it all went to s*** at 65kg-my core couldn't handle it. So I need to have a think about what I will do here. Obviously my core needs to come up to par, but I will still need to work on the press. This wouldn't have been so much of a problem with the braced one arm press. I will probably do a dumbbell variaition again, maybe even just the braced one arm again, as I haven't done it in 3 weeks now. After the second set with 65kg, I felt tanked and new I would struggle with the rest of the workout. Took a lot out of me fighting with the weight and swinging about like a mad man.

Chinups BW+10kgx6x5-Not bad, bw is 180ish. I kind of swing forward on these a bit, again probably the weak core.

CG bench 80kgx5x3-Was just dying by this point, this was s*****.

Ghetto roman chair situps +10kg 3x10-These were actually pretty decent. Will incorporate them. Although I still need to find a way of progressing to standing rollouts, perhaps this will help.

GPP-One arm DB swings 20kg 3x15 per side-Had to be careful with my right shoulder at the top as it was twinging. Fine on the pressing movements though.

Abduction/adduction machines-Went throught to the even gayer gym and did 3 sets for high reps. Can max out the abductor, can only do half the weight on the adductor for some reps. The good news was that today my hips didn't nearly cramp.

Well as I said before, pretty crap day. What made it worse was that my CD wouldn't work so there was gay s**** music on that killed my mood. I was originally going to go back to benching as the main move today but decided I would do another three weeks with the overhead press. Now it looks as if I will use the bench as the main move whist doing one arm overhead work. No point with the overhead press until my core can handle it. On another note my right knee has been giving me bother again, so I will have to ice the bugger.

Well that is it for today, I will look to squat and deads to make me happy again on Wednesday. Tommorow will be some cardio. Until next time...

Quagmire

PS-Kickureface, I am taking 45mg zinc gluconate everyday. Does some good if you ask me, and no adverse affects that I can see.

 

[Quagmire911]

Tuesday-Stuff

Dynamic stretching/Glute activation

GPP 10 burpees/30 jumping jacks -4 intervals 60-90s inbetween. Finished the last interval with 50 jacks again. Conditioning is at the next level, this was much better.

Later on a I went for a salt bath and also did hot/cold contrast for my right knee and shoulder.

And can I just say, those ghetto roman chair situps killed my abs. Every time I stand up or twist it hurts But in that good way. You know what I mean.

Song of the week:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_tDo6U0jLM&feature=related

Deadlifts tommorow Bring it on. Until then...

Quagmire

 

[Quiksilver]

Hey good luck with those deadlifts tomorrow man, is it a PR attempt?

And get those joints healed up too, the longer you let them nag at you, the less they heal properly.

What on earth is a salt bath?

 

[Quagmire911]

Well the shoulder is muscular (I think) and I am pretty sure the knee is tendonitis. So nothing major.

A salt bath is exactly that. A bath with salt in it. I use herbal salts I get at the local supermarket, but the recommened ones are Epsom salts which I haven't had the chance to get yet. It aids in recovery.

I will be going for a PR if I can on the deadlift. I will PR on the squats unless something unforseen happens.

 

[Quagmire911]

Wednesday

Good day today. Here it is:

Deadlift 150kgx1 157.5kgx1 172.5kgx1 PR (379.5lbs)-F***ing good stuff. This is a conventional PR and equals my sumo PR. Next week may be an all time PR. This was a good rep, form was better than last weeks 167.5kg. It went up fairly well too once it was off of the floor, which is my weakpoint. Got the legs into it again today. And for reference my grip didn't give out at the end. I held it for a few seconds and slammed that bitc* cause I felt good about it. Grip had no problems with the weight. Back seems to bend a bit but it is a max effort or near enough. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeWVc5BhkvQ

Squats 122.5kg (269.5lbs) x5x1-Well. The first set was a true five rep max, which the video will show you. On the second set I then tried looking up to compare it with looking down and it felt quite a bit heavier. That, coupled with how much the first set out of me, I just set it down on the second rep. I using Poliquin's 5% here and I still may for one more week. No way was I getting 3x5 though. My hips were still coming up first this week and it gets more pronounced as the set goes on. The last rep looks horrific. On the second rep I hit the box awkardly (using it for depth) and on the third I hit the ghetto rack which doesn't help. I think my back needs bringing up to par although it may be that I am just not maintaing a good enough position out of the hole. That along with my hips and core are where the weakpoints lie at the moment. I also didn't walk the weight out very well. Will be getting weightlifting shoes when I can afford it. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61BQHRmYxig


Sumo deadlift 120kgx12-Doing these for the hips. Really felt it in them too.

Romanian deadlifts 105kg 2x10 -My back was tired as hell by this point so this didn't feel great on it.

Side bends 6kg 2x6 -Getting better at these.

Db bi curls- 15kg DB 2x6-Left is quite a bit weaker than my right.

Hip adduction 50kg 2x12 -Much better than last week. No cramping.

Hip abduction 90kg 2x12-Think this is pretty strong.

Well that was that. Went a bit high weight wise on the squats. Should have called it a day on the third rep and done a 3x3 probably. Very happy with the deadlift. I reckon I had 5-10lbs more on that rep. 182.5kg is the target. Won't get it next week and then I am switching out the ME exercise for something else. So it will be at least another month before I get to attempt it. My hips and abs were still sore from Monday but it didn't seem to affect anything. Well that is all for today, until next time...

Quagmire

 

[Fuglydude]

Good job on the DL man. Do you find it easier to sit into the lift more and have a narrower stance and use your quads to push up from the bottom part of the lift? I was stuck at 405 for almost a year before I changed up my stance and how much I was sitting into it...the result: my DL went up 25-30 lbs...my PB was 435-440. What's your bodyweight at now?

Everyone's unique biomechanically so I'm not sure if this will help you, but it totally did with me. Keep up the progress!